Receptacle



F. E. WAKEFIELD RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 26, 1935 1'. "1117111. VII

Sept. 1, 1936.

Patented Sept. 1, 1936 PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE Frank E. Wakefield,North Attleboro, Mass., as-

signor to Evans Case Company, North Attleboro, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application September 26, 1935, Serial No. 42,323

7 Claims.

The receptacle of the present invention includes a cover which may. behinged to the receptacle and may be adapted to be held in its closedposition. The closure for the cover may be released and the cover openedfor access to the interior of the receptacle.

Such receptacles are capable of use for any purpose but in order toclearly show one adaptation of the invention it may be. described inconnection with the receptacle especially adapted for holdingcigarettes. In such a receptacle there may be a more or less rectangularbottom associated with substantially vertical side walls to one of whichthe cover may be hinged and an other of which may be provided with acatch for holding the cover closed.

An important phase of the present invention relates'to the catch for thecover and the means for holding it in position and for releasing thecatch. In many such devices now in use the catch is resiliently fastenedto one side of the receptacle and means are provided for causing thecatch to moverelative to the side of thereceptacle torelease the cover.The present invention contemplates a catch integral with or fastened toa wall of the receptacle, the wall itself being adapted to swing or moveso as to move the catch out of engagement with the cover. Themovement'of the side wall of the'member may be limited by stops and maybe provided with means for holding the side member and the catch in apredetermined position.

In the-accompanying drawing is shown a specific form embodying theinvention.

Figure l is a front elevation of a receptacle showing the cover closed.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 butshowing the cover opened.

Fig. B-is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of .Fig. 2indicating means for biasing the cover toward opening position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontalsection of one corner of thereceptacle portions being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a-vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 4, and

Fig-5? is a fragmentaryv Yertical section of one corner of thereceptacle.

The receptacle may consist of a bottom member ID from which rises theback member II and the side or end members l2. The members II and, I2may be integral with the bottom member ID or may be suitably attachedthereto in any well known manner. Associated with the end members l2 areshown covering end frame members I3 which may be provided with suitableornamental coverings l4 although this is not essential to and forms nopart of the present invention. Mounted on the hinge l5 carried. by theback member H is the cover Hi. The mechanisms so far-described may be ofany suitable well known construction. In the hinge member I5 isillustrated in Fig. 3 a spring I1 which tends to hold the cover IS inopen position although this is not essential to the invention. At thefront of the bottom member II is provided a channel or groove IS inwhich rests and has a bearing the member [9 forming the front wall of Ithe receptacle. The member l9 may be mounted in. any suitable way toswing in the bearing channel l8 its movement being preferably limited ashereinafter indicated. The member l9 preferably will be supported initsswinging bearings by any suitable means in such a way that it isnormally biased to the vertical position illustrated in Fig. 2 inwhich-position'it is adapted to engage and hold the cover for instanceby interlocking with the catch member which in order to form a. neatclosure may extend from end to end of the top member l6and which isshown as downwardly projecting therefrom. There may be bearings for themember I9 at each end. In Fig. '7 one. bearing member 2| is illustratedas resting-in the bearing 22 provided in the end frame 13. The frontmember l9 consists of a flat plate having ends 23 the face of whichengages the front rims 24 of the end frame members 13 as illustratedmore particularly in Fig. 4. Carried by the-end members l2 are tubes 25in which are springs 26 against which rest pins 21 the front ends ofwhich rest against the inner side or face of the front member IS. Thesprings 26-are so arranged that normally they force the pins2'l-outwardso as to hold the front member 19 against the stops 24 and in thesubstantially vertical position illustrated in Fig. 2. Runningthroughout the length of the front member 19 is a rib or projectingmember 28. Associated inany suitable way with the front member I9 so asto move with it is a catch 29. This is illustrated as rising" fromtheiupper edge of the front. member l9-to which it may be attached orwithwhl'ch it may be integral. The exact position and length of thecatch 29 is not material to the present invention. As illustrated indotted lines in Fig. 1 the catch 29 may be centrally arranged on thefront plate I 9 and may extend for a short distance only. It is onlynecessary that the catches fully closed in which position the lower edgeof the catch will be below the hook of the catch 29 which will be forcedforward and in engagement with the catch 20 by ,the pins'21 as soon asthe catch 20 passes below the beveled face 30 of the catch 29. In thisposition the cover I6 is held closed until released bymovement of thecatch 29. This releasing movement of the catch 29 may be effected byswinging the front plate IS on its bearings against the pins 21 whosemovement is allowed by contracting the springs 26. The swinging movementof the front plate I!) may be accomplished by pressure upon the ridge orrib 28. While not essential to all phases of the invention it will benoted that the rib 28 is shown as extending from end to end of the frontmember l9. It results, therefore, that it is not necessary to find anyparticular point on the length of the front member l9 to apply pressureto release the catch. Pressure on any part of the rib 28 at anywherethroughout its length will cause the front member H) to swing on'itspivots and release the catch 29. It will be noted that the front end ofthe tube is not far removed from the front member 19. It thus may act asa stop for'the inward movement of the front member l9 which is thus freeto swing between projecting members 24 and the ends of the tubes 25which act as stops for the movement of the front member I9 in oppositedirections.

The details of construction illustrated and described are not essentialto the invention which may be embodied in many forms.

I claim as my invention: I H

1. A receptacle comprising a four sided base member, three vertical sidemembers rigidly fastened to the base member enclosing three sides of thebase, a top member, a spring hinge connecting one side of the top memberto one of the side members constructed and arranged to normally bias thetop to open position, a catch depending from the opposite side of thetopmember, rigid stops at the ends of the two side members' at the fourthside of the base, channels on the said two side members, plungers in thechannels, springs in the channels pressing the plungers toward thestops, a fourth side member swinging between" the plungers and thestops, a catch on the fourth side member engaging the catch on the topmember when pressed toward the stops, and a longitudinal ridge extendingthrough the entire length of the fourth side member so arranged thatpressure on any part of the ridge will release-the catch and allow thetop to move to'open position.

,2. A receptacle comprising a base member, side members rigidly-fastenedto the basemember enclosing all but one'side of the base and leaving theother side open, a top member hinged on 2.

- -will release the catch and allow the top to move to open position.

3. A receptacle comprising a base member, side members rigidly fastenedto the base member enclosing all but one side of the base, a top memberhinged to one of the side members normally bi-' ased to open position, acatch on the top member, rigid stops at the ends of the side members atthe ',:open side of the base, an additional side member hinged at itsbottom to swing between the stops, and a catch onthe last mentioned sidemember biased to engage the catch on the top member, so constructed andarranged that pressure anywhere along the length of the last mentionedside member will release thecatch and allow the top to move to openposition. w

4. A receptacle comprising a top member and side members, a spring hingefor the top member constructed and arranged to normally'bias the top toopen position, a catch on the top member, rigid stops at the ends of twoside members, chan nels on the two side members, plungers in thechannels, springs in the channels pressing the plungers toward thestops, a side member swinging between the plungers and the stops, acatch on the swinging side member engaging the catch on the top memberwhen pressed toward the stops, and a longitudinal ridge extendingthrough the entire length of the swinging side member so arrangedthatpressure on any part of the ridge will release the catch and allow thetop to move to open position.

5. In a receptacle having a top, a substantially rigid side memberhinged at its bottom to swing toa limited extent in an inward direction,means on the side member to engage the top, means for biasing the sidemember in one direction to engage and hold closed the top so constructedand arranged that pressure on the side member will release the top.

6. In a receptacle having a top, a substantially rigid side memberhinged at its bottom to swing in an inward direction, means on the sidemember to engage the top, means for resiliently biasing the side memberin one direction to cause the engaging means to hold the top closed, anda pressure ridge extending longitudinally along the side member soconstructed and arranged that pressure at any point on it will releasethe top.

7. In a receptacle having a top, a bottom, three rigid side walls and afourth open side, a substantially rigid side member closing the openside and hinged to swing to a limited extent, means on the side memberto engage the top, and means for biasing the' side member in onedirection to engage and hold closed the top so constructed and.arrangedthat pressure on the side member will release the top.

l FRANK E. WAKEFIELD.

